Safe Haven MuseumNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Safe Haven MuseumSat, 26 Nov 2016 09:16:48 +0000Safe Haven Museumhttp://wrvo.org
Payne HorningRuth Gruber died last week at 105. She was an accomplished journalist and humanitarian. But in Oswego she is remembered and celebrated for the role she played when the United States offered safe harbor to 986 European refugees during World War II. Gruber worked for the department of the interior when she was chosen to escort the mostly Jewish refugees on their voyage to America. They were housed at Fort Ontario in Oswego for the remainder of the war. Eventually, Gruber championed the refugees' fight to gain American citizenship. WRVO was able to capture her story in an interview in 1984. Audio from Gruber's interview with WRVO, which was collected with assistance from professor Lawrence Baron, is archived online. "Oral Histories: Emergency Refugee Shelter at Fort Ontario (Safe Haven)"/Tape 271, Special Collections, Penfield Library, SUNY Oswego, Oswego, NY. 'The most important assignment of my life' -- an interview with Ruth Gruberhttp://wrvo.org/post/most-important-assignment-my-life-interview-ruth-gruber
96402 as http://wrvo.orgFri, 25 Nov 2016 11:56:27 +0000'The most important assignment of my life' -- an interview with Ruth GruberPayne Horning Ruth Gruber, who played a key role in helping Oswego’s Fort Ontario harbor nearly 1,000 refugees during World War II, has died. She was an accomplished journalist and humanitarian, but she is most fondly remembered in Oswego for the difference she made in the lives of the refugees she helped save. Ruth Gruber, key figure in Oswego's refugee story, dieshttp://wrvo.org/post/ruth-gruber-key-figure-oswegos-refugee-story-dies
96309 as http://wrvo.orgMon, 21 Nov 2016 12:47:21 +0000Ruth Gruber, key figure in Oswego's refugee story, diesPayne Horning Oswego County celebrated its bicentennial over the Independence Day weekend. A float with historic county officials glided through the annual Oswego parade, the Oswego Stamp Club sold special historic stamps noting the bicentennial and later in the day residents gathered at the historic Fort Ontario for a picnic and presentation. Oswego County celebrates its 200th birthday over Independence Day weekendhttp://wrvo.org/post/oswego-county-celebrates-its-200th-birthday-over-independence-day-weekend
90562 as http://wrvo.orgMon, 04 Jul 2016 08:54:55 +0000Oswego County celebrates its 200th birthday over Independence Day weekendPayne HorningThe National Park Service (NPS) has agreed to complete a reconnaissance study on Oswego's Fort Ontario and Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Museum. Rep. John Katko (R-Camillus), who pushed for the study, said it is another positive development in the community's attempt to elevate the two historic sites to national park status. He has authored a bill that, if passed, could make that a reality."It's not the bill, but it's a prerequisite to the bill," Katko said in front of the Safe Haven Museum Thursday. "It's important because a lot of people don't get that done first. By getting that moving, it's really going to help expedite the process."Katko expects the reconnaissance study, one part of an overall evaluation that will need to take place to determine if the two historic sites are worthy of the special designation, will take place next summer. In the meantime, he said the U.S. House of Representatives will likely vote on his bill in the next few months. It recently passed out of theNational Park Service will conduct study on Fort Ontario, Safe Haven museumhttp://wrvo.org/post/national-park-service-will-conduct-study-fort-ontario-safe-haven-museum
90447 as http://wrvo.orgMon, 04 Jul 2016 08:40:00 +0000National Park Service will conduct study on Fort Ontario, Safe Haven museumPayne HorningThe House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources has approved a bill that would launch a study to determine if Fort Ontario and the Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Museum in Oswego should be elevated to national park status. The legislation, which was authored by central New York Rep. John Katko, passed unanimously out of the committee and now heads to the full House. The 260-year-old Fort Ontario has been involved in several major American wars and the Safe Haven museum commemorates the 986 Jewish refugees who were granted shelter at the fort during world war two. Fort Ontario, Safe Haven bill passes House committee http://wrvo.org/post/fort-ontario-safe-haven-bill-passes-house-committee
89888 as http://wrvo.orgFri, 17 Jun 2016 14:50:53 +0000Fort Ontario, Safe Haven bill passes House committee Payne Horning During a hearing on Capitol Hill, Rep. John Katko (R-Camillus) urged his colleagues to designate Oswego's Fort Ontario and Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum to National Park status. The Republican congressman is sponsoring a bill that would trigger a study to determine if the historical sites are worthy of becoming part of the National Park system. In his testimony before the House of Representative's Subcommittee on Federal Lands, Katko talked about a photo he brought to the hearing of some of the 986 Jewish refugees who were sheltered at Fort Ontario during the Holocaust. "That's situated in my office, one of the first things people see when they walk in is that photo and I want people to see that to understand its historical significance and the lives it saved in WWII," Katko said.Bill Shaddox with the National Park Service (NPS) said they supported Katko's bill at the hearing. But, he said the NPS recommends that 24 previously approved studies concerning other potentialBill to make Fort Ontario, Safe Haven Museum part of National Park system gets first hearinghttp://wrvo.org/post/bill-make-fort-ontario-safe-haven-museum-part-national-park-system-gets-first-hearing
88962 as http://wrvo.orgWed, 25 May 2016 20:01:55 +0000Bill to make Fort Ontario, Safe Haven Museum part of National Park system gets first hearingPayne Horning When Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump suggested recently that the U.S. should block Muslims from entering the country over fears of terrorism, he cited former President Franklin Roosevelt's infamous decision to place some Japanese citizens into internment camps following the attacks on Pearl Harbor. But, FDR also opened a different kind of camp in Oswego in spite of the anti-immigration sentiment from Congress at the time. Oswego played a key role in another refugee debatehttp://wrvo.org/post/oswego-played-key-role-another-refugee-debate
81955 as http://wrvo.orgTue, 29 Dec 2015 09:42:00 +0000Oswego played a key role in another refugee debatePayne Horning A group of volunteers in Oswego are working with state officials to elevate Fort Ontario and its Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Museum to a national, and even possibly global, status. First constructed in 1759, Fort Ontario has undergone many changes in its history. It was defended and destroyed by both the British and the United States. Then during World War II, Fort Ontario became a refugee camp for European Jews and in 1953, it opened as a state historic site. Now, a grassroots campaign hopes to see the fort transform once again. "I think that Fort Ontario is one of the greatest historic military sites in our nation,” said Paul Lear, the historic supervisor at Fort Ontario. “It needs to be recognized." Lear said the effort to make the site a national historic monument started several years ago when representatives from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) showed interest in designating the Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Museum a world heritageOswego rallying to make Fort Ontario, Safe Haven Museum part of National Park systemhttp://wrvo.org/post/oswego-rallying-make-fort-ontario-safe-haven-museum-part-national-park-system
80701 as http://wrvo.orgMon, 16 Nov 2015 09:05:00 +0000Oswego rallying to make Fort Ontario, Safe Haven Museum part of National Park systemGino Geruntino Beginning Thursday, the Safe Haven Museum in Oswego is celebrating the 70th anniversary of when 982 Jewish refugees were first housed at Fort Ontario. In 1944, President Franklin Roosevelt allowed 1,000 Jewish refugees to enter the United States as guests, and they lived at the decommissioned Fort Ontario base in Oswego until 1946, when they were allowed to stay as American citizens or return home. The refugee camp, known as "Safe Haven," was the only location of its kind in the U.S.Museum Board president Judy Coe Rapaport says the anniversary marks a major milestone for the museum and community, and likely bringing some of the refugees to Oswego for the last time."We will not be able to get them together again," Rapaport said. "We will have memorial services. We will have remembrance. We will have remembrance of the Holocaust and of the refugees and the contributions that they made to America. When you look at the generations that they created, because they did create them in AmericaSafe Haven Museum to hold 70th reunion for Oswego's Jewish refugeeshttp://wrvo.org/post/safe-haven-museum-hold-70th-reunion-oswegos-jewish-refugees
57435 as http://wrvo.orgThu, 19 Jun 2014 09:57:37 +0000Safe Haven Museum to hold 70th reunion for Oswego's Jewish refugeesGino GeruntinoSeventy years ago, nearly 1,000 European refugees came to Oswego to escape the Holocaust during World War II. Now the city's Safe Haven Museum is collecting and cataloging stories from those living in the city at the time, for what it calls the "Neighbors Project." The refugees, many of them Jewish, were housed at Fort Ontario from 1944 until 1946. The camp was the only one of its kind in the United States."This is the Statue of Liberty of Oswego County, so it's important for us to know this story and to celebrate it," says Nola Heidlebaugh, board member at the Safe Haven Museum.She says the museum wants to hear from people who remember the refugees and can share their experiences."We want to gather everything we can," Heidlebaugh said. "I think sometimes people think their stories are everyday or maybe they're not as interesting as someone else's story, and of course that's never true. Of course they're interesting stories, we want them all."And it isn't just stories that the group isNeighbors Project collects stories, memories for Safe Haven Museumhttp://wrvo.org/post/neighbors-project-collects-stories-memories-safe-haven-museum
54642 as http://wrvo.orgThu, 24 Apr 2014 19:45:02 +0000Neighbors Project collects stories, memories for Safe Haven Museum